Parachute pack



Patented Feb. 17, 1948 PARACHUTE PACK John Raymond Cuthbert Quilter, Woking, England Application september s, 194e, 'serial No. 695,132 In Great Britain October I9, 19:45

6 Claims. (Cl. 244-148) This: .invention prelates. to parachute packs for ayiatorsiand more particularly-to `packs of the seatrtype.

Thee-invention has. for;;.its main yobject to vpro vide an improvedseatftype pack which is readily detachableffrom the harness, so that the pack may "be-left in placeabthe. avators seat while he is free=tofniove about wearing the 'harness but unencumbered by the parachute.: this is especially desirable in rtropical or sub-ftropcal conditions, where thevweightthat. can be comfortably sup-v ported is very limited.

.Avgfurther :object of the invention .is toprovide a detachable parachute pack .in which the lift webs'are made readily adjustable to :suit individual wearers., while maintaining thefeature of automatically taking thefload uponzthese lift webs and fnotupon auxiliary adjustable webs.

Another object of the 'invention is to provide animproved detachable parachute pack of the seat type, which overcomes many ofthe disadvantages of the. ordinary. detachable .seat-type pack; for example,awith an .ordinary .pack of this type, theaviator is not only encumbered by the weight vof the. parachute but iihe has to walk about while. wearing the pack, it vis liable to descend tothe level of his knees or even-flower, due to the rlift webs pulling out of `the pack. Thus the lift'webs may become looseenough to let the pack turn over :facing his body when yhe is in the act of jumping from the aircraft, making. the deployment. ofthe parachute impossible or difficult.r

Other objects and advantages will hereinafter appear from the following description .of a preferred' embodiment, 'given with reierenceto the accompanying drawings in which:

Fig. 1 is a sectional elevation 4of the improved pack, .as seen `from thefront of 'the seat, with an aviators harness coupled thereto, the .harness being -shown in the .position .of zwear. l

j Fig. 2 is. a lperspective view of the pack, as seen obliq'uclyi-rom beneath,.the pack being in open condition and the-shroud lines partly withdrawn.. Y Fig. a sectional detail of the connection between one of .the adjusting strops and the respective lift web.

As illustrated inFigs l and 12, the parachute pack -I:I comprises .aat rectangularybase or framejzgmade -Ior example 'of `wire and covered with textile material; -this base istted .on its upper surface with a cushion I3 .and on -itslower surface with tworows of looped tapes I4 :for zigzag :engagement of the shroud lines I5 in the customary manner. The four edges of thebase are iitted with cover flaps I6 for -retainingthe pack in vclosed condition .after stowage` ofv the parachute, the closure of these flaps being zcontrolled by the usual rip-cord device I1, operated by means of a handle I8 which the aviator attaches to a convenient point of thevharness orof his garment after-taking his seat.

In the center of the base, there is mounted a dependent loop of flexible wire I9 which Acan be traversed by a retaining pin 2G made of 'spring steel wire bent to V-shape; .a narrow pocket 2l stitched to the base material is adapted to receive the legs of the retaining pin after it has been threaded through the wire loop. The pin 20 can be withdrawn from the pocket and loop by the drag of a Vcord 22 extending in the opposite direction from the apex of the pin to oneof the shroud lines I5; the attachment to the latter and the length of the drag cord 22 are so selectedv that the pin 20 will be withdrawn vwhile the shroud lines are still slack and not yet wholly drawn out from the pack, as shown in Fig..2.

The two side cover aps lI6 are formed with apertures such as slots 23 vadjacent tothe edges of the base, through which slots lift webs 24 connected to the shroud li-nes I5 by rshackles 25 pass to the exterior; their outer extremities are formed with loops 26, preferably reinforced by liners 21, and secured to yquick-action coupling devices 28 of suitable 'or Well-known type whereby they can be connected to the 'lower ends Aof the main lift webs 29 worn as part of the harness. These ymain-lift webs may be made of vnylon -cords running side by side, for example eight cords to each web, Vfor the :sake of lightness and coolness in hot climates; they are preferably vvguided along tunnels'BII beneath Vflaps 3| extending over the 'shoulders of the wearen'the aps being normal-ly held down upon his garment by press studs 32 or the likewhich yield to the pull of the-lift webs as the parachute comes into operation. 'I'he harness maybe arranged as described in vmy pending applicationgSerial No. 649,23'7, led Feb. 21, 1946. y

At the ,points 'where the coupling devices' .28

ing downrin the position of wear so that they can be tightened readily by a downward pull. Inside the pack `H, these adjusting strops 31 extend parallel with the lift webs or connectors 24 and directly beneath them, being loosely held in relative position by collars 39 slidable along the adjusting strops 31 and the lift webs or connectors 24; the connector 24 at each side ofthe Y v pack is preferably made as a doubled length of at the middle of the entire length and the two ends 24a looped for attachment of the shackles 25, in which case the collar 39 need only engage the lower ofthe two superposed halves of the web. f'jletween thetwo collars, theadjac'ent ends of the adjusting strops "31th: closely against the undersurface'of the base, in the gap between the shackles from which the shroud lines l5 commence their zigzag stowing'transverse to the line of the lift webs or connectors; these ends of the strops are tted with eyelets or grommets 4i) which are engaged successively over the wire loop I9 projecting from the middle of the base, the retaining pin 20 being then passed through the end of the loop I9 and vslipped into its pocket 2l upon the base. As the shroud lines l5 are stowed zigzag fashion in their retaining tapes, the drag cord 22 extending from the pin 2i) to the shroud line will be left loose; the pin therefore retains the adjusting strops 31 engaged with the wire loop I9 until the parachute has almost completed the extraction of the shroud lines, as seen in Fig. 2, the pin being then withdrawn by the drag cord 22 and the adjusting strops freed so that the pull of the shroud lines will be 'taken wholly by the lift webs 24.

In operation, the parachute pack will be laid upon the seat of a chair or like support, with the lift webs or connectors 24 and the adjusting sti-ops 31 hanging loosely from the pack but connected together by the buckles 28 on each side, and the rip-cord device and its handle I8 laid on the iioor to one side; an aviator wearing his harness including the main lift webs 29 will be able to take his seat upon the cushion I3 on top of the pack, to couple up the lift webs orconnectors 24 to his main lift webs 29, by means of the quick-action couplings 28, to attach the rip-cord device to his` waist belt or garment, and to adjust the tension ofthe main lift web to a'comfortable iit by pulling down the free ends 38 oi the strops. If now he desires to leave his seat without disconnecting the pack from his harness, he will be free to do so and to walk about while wearing the pack, without danger of the lift webs 24 accidentally pulling out and thereby allowing the pack to falldown, with the consequences mentioned above.

What I claim is: Y A

1`. A parachute pack enclosing a parachute, shroud lines andlift webs, said lift we bs extending voutvf'rom the pack for attachment of their extremities to a harness, in combination with means for adjusting said lift webs after attachment to the harness, said'adjusting means comprising flexible members extending out from the pack beside the respective lift webs, releasable means for locking together the ends of said nexible members inside the pack, and adjustable means for connecting the external ends of said iiexible members to the extremities oi the lift webs attached to the harness.

2. A parachute pack enclosing a parachute, shroud lines and lift webs, said lift webs extending out from the pack for attachment of their extremities to a harness, in combination with means for adjusting said lift webs after attachment to the. harness, said adjusting means comprising flexible members extending out from the pack beside the respective lift webs, releasable means for locking together the ends of said iiexible members inside the pack, adjustable means for connecting the external ends of said iiexible mem b ers to the extremities of the lift webs attached to the harness, and means for releasing said locking means bythe emerging shroud lines when the 3. AA parachute pack enclosing a parachute, shroud Vlines and lift webs, said lift webs extending out from the pack-for attachment 0f their extremities vto a harness, in combination with means for adjusting said lift webs after attachment to the harness, said adjusting means comT prising flexible members extending out from the pack beside the respective lift webs; and frictional buckles secured to the extremities of said llift webs, said buckles being adjustably engaged by the external ends of said flexible members.

4. A parachute pack enclosing a parachute, shroud lines and lift webs, said lift Webs extentieV ing out from the pack for attachment of their extremities to a harness, in combination with means for adjusting said lift webs after attachment to the harness, said adjusting means comprisingr exible members extending out from the pack beside the respective lift webs, and frictional buckles secured to the extremities of said lift webs, said buckles being adjustably engaged by the external ends of said flexible members with the free extremities of said flexible members Vhanging down from the respective buckles so that said flexible members can be tightened for adjustment by a downward pull on their extremities.

5. A parachute pack enclosing a parachute, shroud lines and lift webs. said lift webs extending out from the pack for attachment of their extremities to a harness, in combination with means for adjusting Vsaid lift webs after attachment to the harness, said adjusting means comprising exible members extending out from the pack beside the respective lift webs, releasable means for locking together the ends of said flexible members inside the pack, said locking means comprising a member fixed inside the pack and adapted to engage the adjacent ends of said flexible members, a retaining pin engageable with said xed member to hold said adjacent ends engaged therewith, and a tie from said pin to the shroud lines, the withdrawal of the shroud lines by the emerging parachute disengaging said vretaining pin from said iixed member. and adjust-n able means for connecting the external ends Vof said flexible members 'to the extremities'of the lift webs' attached to the harness.

6. A parachute pack lenclosing a parachute, shroud lines and lift webs', said lift webs extend` ing out from the pack for attachment of their-extremities to a harness, in combination with means for adjusting said lift webs after attachment to the harness, said adjusting means comprising.'-

' lift webs from said locking means to common 5 6 flexible members extending out from the pack beside the respective lift webs, releasable meansl for REFERENCES CITED locking together the ends of said nexibie members The following references are of record in the inside the pack, the internal ends of said exible le 0f this Patent: members extending parallel with the respective 5 UNITED STATES PATENTS apertures in the pack, means for holding the par- Number Name Date allel portions of said internal ends and lift;` webs 2,130547 Irvin Sept. 20. 1938 loosely in relative position, and adjustable means 2,130,182 SWitlik NOV. 14, 1939 for connecting the external ends of said flexible l0 members to the extremities of the lift webs attached to the harness.

JOHN RAYMOND CUTHBERT QUILTER. 

